The other day having a coffee, a group of college students walked in and took a seat; without a word, they took their phones out and scrolled for a few minutes. Then they started occasionally chatting to each other; it was as if the phone was protection, used to fuel the conversation; when it got going, the phones went down for a few minutes, and then it was back to the phones.
This pattern seemed to continue.
Are we so afraid of who we are that we need Facebook, snapchat and countless others apps to fuel our conversations?
It got me questioning what are we searching for in all these apps? Is it meaning, is it approval, is it acceptance?
For me, life is about connecting with people; it’s about listening; it’s about helping each other.
We all crave attention. We all desire to be connected to something bigger than ourselves.
We naturally have a spiritual connection to God, but it is so subtly that we can take it for granted, searching for it somewhere else.
To feel a spiritual connection takes relaxation, calmness and peace, and when do we have time for that?
I have nothing against technology at all; only for it; I would not be connecting with you today, but it’s so important that we take the time to switch it off.
When I started to do this recently, I found myself feeling very sleepy and often fell asleep. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon; when phones, laptops, and tv constantly stimulate the mind, it continually processes information.
Take time today, 2 min, 5 mins, 10 min. Whatever you can spare, and close your eyes. Do it right now.
Feel the world around you, the noises, the sensations in your body, and know that you are loved.
The mind needs calmness for at least 10-20minutes of each day.
When you don’t give your mind a rest, all the tension and stress build-up, and over time it can lead to illness and pain.
If you feel overwhelmed at this time, I highly recommend trying the following. First, take time to be still the mind; no phones, no laptops or tablets, no tv.
It could be in the form of prayer, walking in nature, swimming, running etc.
When you give yourself this time, stress and tension will subside, and you will see problems and difficulties from a new perspective.
Done regularly, you will see significant changes in your life.
There is so much uncertainty in our world, and if you are not careful, fear can take control of your thinking.
Layer on top of that past hurts, regrets, and disappointments, and you may feel drained of all your energy.
In my opinion, it is vital to do self-work to remove any negativity that’s in your power to remove. Necessary to strengthen your faith and build on that faith through your words and actions.
The Power to Change Your Life is a boxset containing, The Power of Surrender, The Power of Mountain Moving Faith, and The Power of Words. I combined these books as I think they provide an excellent foundation moving forward.
Available for FREE today on Amazon.
Wishing you all the best. I will keep you in my prayers.
We know we must change; we know it would be beneficial, but something holds us back? Fear, doubt and worry play their part, but I believe the real reason we find it hard to change is much deeper…
We are all born with unlimited potential, but over time, most of that potential fades away.
But why?
Growing up we are constantly reminded of our limitations.
Maybe a parent, guardian or classmate told you something so many times that you believed them. “You’re aiming too high. No one has ever done that before. Better to play it safe, don’t take risks.
They might have meant well, but they were projecting their fears and failures on you. Because they might have tried, or they don’t believe that they can do it. It’s important to know that it’s not really about you. It’s about what they feel and their fears inside.
Or maybe what was said was more destructive, “You’re not good enough, you’re not intelligent enough, you haven’t got what it takes. You haven’t got the looks or the confidence.
If you were told any of these types of things as a child, it is quite natural to experience resentment, anger, or bitterness when you replay what was said or done. But it is so vital that you release them feelings or they will get the best of you.
Down Memory Lane
Growing up, I was bullied, meaning I felt inferior to others for most of my life. I didn’t feel like I was popular enough. Intelligent enough, talented enough. No doubt holding this attitude had an impact on my life. But thankfully, I never held negative feelings towards the people that hurt me. I just kept moving forward and did my best.
Only years later did I realise that holding this attitude was a gift.
To make progress, to be truly happy, healthy, and successful, you must learn to let go of the past so that it doesn’t affect you in the present. What happened may not have been fair. What was done to you was wrong, but letting it replay in your mind will not help. All that replaying the hurt will do is make you more depressed, angrier, and more enraged.
Replaying past events can even make you doubt yourself, which will affect your language, meaning you say things like, “I couldn’t do that, I can’t learn new things, I’m not good with people, relationships, money, etc.
The negativity of the past can affect you in the present; it can affect your faith, it can affect your thinking, making you question what you can and can not do.
One hurt or mistake can limit what you can achieve.
The one person that hurt you can cause you to mistrust everyone and make you think that all people are the same. They’re not.
The one mistake you made can make you doubtful of your abilities, meaning you never try anything that challenges you or anything new.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
When you remove all negativity from your thinking, your faith will grow. meaning you will speak more confidently, and expect good things to come into your path.
By taking specific steps, your life can improve in amazing ways.
In my new book, The Power to Change Your Life, I break down the process in a simple, understandable way. Not in a list of dos and don’ts, but through relatable stories that will help you digest the information quick and easily.
There are seeds of greatness within each of us, but those seeds can lie dormant when we choose to focus on the past.
If someone gave you a plant to look after, you would love and care for it, ensuring that it got the maximum amount of nutrients and light. But for some reason, we choose to neglect the gift of life because of a few wrong decisions and hurts?
Resulting in us growing weak and never having the strength to bloom.
Choose to plant your seeds of greatness today, and you will not believe what you will achieve.
Experience the power of change; let the loving energy of God flow into your life.
Click on image below to download your FREE eBook (for a limited time)
When our thoughts are lost in worry in can be helpful to focus our mind on something else. Prayer is an excellent solution as it focuses our mind on God.
It focuses our mind on all the times that things worked out for the best.
It can be hard when your in the grips of worry to think about anything else but this is exactly when you will feel the biggest benefit.
Not too long ago, we all had busy lives, unable to find the time to do anything. So busy chasing happiness.
If you enjoyed your job, you might have been looking for a promotion, if not, probably looking for another position or something better.
Social media can make our friends look like they’re having more fun and more success than we are. It’s so easy to look at others to see how our life compares—making us feel that we should have a similar level of success.
It’s so easy with disappointments and setbacks to become upset, annoyed or even depressed.
Then you can start to play the blame game, “if only I had more time if only I had no pressure at work if only I had the energy, “why am I so tired all the time.”
You turn to God for help, but nothing happens. So, you pray for the remainder of the month. Still nothing
Soon you become angry, as you want a quick fix.
Your anger turns to frustration. You begin to wonder whether God is listening at all. You start to wonder whether to continue to pray or not.
Your patience is tested, so you give up.
Why do you think your prayers are not answered?
Could it be partly that you only pray in times of crisis?
Could it be that you don’t realize that God likes to work at a much slower pace than our 24/7 world?
Could it be that you have allowed the distraction of life to pull you away from what really matters?
Living stressed or worried is not what life is about. It may be unknown to you, but God has already given you many daily blessings?
There are hundreds of miracles you receive every day, but you can easily take them for granted. The main ones would be our health unless we are sick. We can take for granted all the food, services, and information that is available to us until it’s not available.
You may not feel rich, but when you have a loving family, good friends and your basic needs met what else do you need?
A Short Story
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help.”
There were only a few coins in the hat – spare change from folks as they hurried past.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.
Then he put the sign back in the boy’s hand so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon, the man who had changed the sign returned to see how things were.
The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but differently.” I wrote, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.”
Both signs spoke the truth. But the first sign said the boy was blind, while the second sign conveyed to everyone walking by how grateful they should be to see.
There are so many special moments happening in our life to celebrate each day.
How many time have you counted your blessings?
A few years ago, I did a 30-day gratitude challenge. The challenge was to write down ten things you were thankful for each day. I thought I would run out of things to write after a week but what the exercise did was open up my mind to all the people, services and resources that I take for granted.
Gratitude is a powerful virtue.
The Roman philosopher Cicero once declared: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.”
I wish yourself, family, and friends health and happiness during this difficult time.
At the moment, the world is in a panic because of an invisible enemy. But there is an even bigger threat that I see.
It’s the infection of doubt.
And if you haven’t caught it, you probably will.
Where ever you go you can see it on peoples faces; they look at you like a rabbit in headlights.
Doubt is not just a Christian experience.
It is a human experience.
So, the issue isn’t whether or not we’re going to catch the infection.
The issue is what do you do once you’ve got it.
How do you prevent this infection from ravaging your faith?
WHAT IS DOUBT?
Many people think that doubt is the opposite of faith. But it’s not. That’s a common misconception. The opposite of faith is unbelief. And there’s a big difference between unbelief and doubt.
Unbelief is a willful refusal to believe. It’s a deliberate decision to deny God. It’s making either a conscious or subconscious decision not to have faith.
But that’s not what doubt is.
Doubt is to be indecisive.
It’s to be caught between two lines of thought.
You want to believe that you won’t get coronavirus, but a little question rattles around your head, “but what if I do?”
Doubt will erode your faith. And very soon all your actions will be based on fear
A great biblical example of how doubt can affect you is in the story of John the Baptist.
He’s the man who pointed at Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is the man who baptized Jesus, and he saw the heavens open up and heard the voice of God say, “This is My Son, in whom I’m well pleased.”
He had incredible faith. But what happened?
He gets arrested.
He gets thrown into jail.
There he comes down with the infection of doubt.
Now he’s not so sure.
Now he’s uncertain.
“Is Jesus really who He claims to be? Or should we be looking for someone else?”
Which is very like most people today.
4-5 months ago, they had a strong faith, but now that faith has been shaken. Church’s are closed. Without guidance, a lot of believers are lost.
To resolve his doubt, John sent two of his friends to go check Jesus out and ask Him point blank the question,
“Are you the Messiah? Are You the one we’ve been waiting for to rescue the world? Or should we look elsewhere?”
So, his two friends go.
They track Jesus down, and they ask Jesus that question.
“And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard. The blind receive sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached to them’.” (Luke 7:22)
In other words, Jesus is saying, “Go back and tell John about the evidence you have seen with your own eyes that authenticate My claim to being the one and only Son of God and that will renew his confidence and will bolster back up his faith.”
That’s what we must do also. Go back and look at all the times that God helped you in the past.
Them times when He made a way where there was no way. .
It’s human nature to have doubts but when we do we can’t let them doubts into our spirit. We must direct our attention to God and ask for him to strengthen our faith.
To help direct us through the storms in our lives.
Open up to God.
‘Lord these are the doubts I have.’
‘These are the questions I have.’
‘This is what I wrestle with, this is the area that I am struggling with at this time.’
In return He will reach out to you helping you come to a resolution and bolster your faith just as He bolstered the faith of John the Baptist.”
Some People Have A Faith That Is Built on Feelings
They prayed for something in the past and received it. Maybe it was a job, a loving relationship, or financial security. Resulting in them feeling good.
They thank God and are happy.
Everything goes well for them for many years.
They praise God for all they have achieved.
Then this global pandemic hits, and they go from living a life of luxury to being in debt in 3-4 months. They are distraught, but their first thought is not to turn to God in prayer. Asking him for help again. No, their first thoughts are of panic, feelings of anger. They want to find someone to blame.
Of course, some people will say— but look at all I lost. I had a beautiful house, three cars, two-holiday homes. Now I’m on the verge of losing it all?
Honestly, I don’t know the answer; I can only speak for myself.
When life is going well for me, I can get complacent, I overstretch. I go for that new loan when I know I’m already living beyond my means.Materialism has a way of taking our attention off God. It can become more important to impress our neighbours than God. Who gave us all that we have in the first place.
Going forward
There is nothing wrong with having feelings of doubt or fear at this time, but you mustn’t give them thoughts a foothold. You must learn from any mistakes that you have made.
Everywhere you go now people are wearing masks and gloves for protection from a deadly enemy. Can I advise you to also have a guard up for an infection even more deadly, the infection of doubt? Some people have it bad; the only problem is you don’t need to be near them to catch it.
That friend that calls you every day telling you how the current outbreak is getting worse and worse.
They have it bad.
You must make them aware that you don’t need any more fear in your life. If they don’t respect your choice, I advise that you limit your time with them. Too many negative conversations and soon you will be thinking like them, doubting that God will protect and provide for you.
We need to feed our faith, not our fear.
Pray every day.
Connect with those that raise you up, that make you smile, that inspire you. That make you laugh.
We will all get through this difficult time.
And we will all be different on the other side.
Now is your time to mould the type of person that you will be.
The power is within your hands.
Be that voice of faith with those around you, and on social media. You may be, the only voice of hope and wisdom that someone hears all week.
James 1:8 KJV
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
If you’re afraid to make a decision in case its wrong, read this Scripture: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally.. and it will be given to him. But let him have faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like the wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord: he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways’ (James 1:5-8 NKJV).
President Reagan enjoyed telling the story of how he learned to make a firm decision. When he was a boy, his aunt sent him to a cobbler to have a new pair of shoes made for him. When the shoemaker asked, “Do you want a square toe or a round one? He hemmed and hawed, so the cobbler said, “Come back in a day or two and tell me what you want.
Later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked what he had decided about the shoes. “I haven’t made up my mind yet, he answered. “Very well,” the cobbler said, “your shoes will be ready tomorrow.
When Reagan got the shoes, one had a round toe; the other had a square toe! Reagan said, “ Looking at those shoes every day taught me a lesson. “If you don’t make your own decisions, somebody else will make them for you.” Worst case: if you get it wrong, you’ll learn what not to do next time.
Bottom line: to succeed in life, you must pray for wisdom, and then make a decision.
Live Today With Faith 